《Minds Beyond Matter》 Prologue His prison cell wasn''t dingy or dark, it was sterilized and silver. White fluorescent lights lined the edges of his little box, his own little world where he hung from silver chains. There were no doors, no windows, no openings, no escape. It was agonizing, the way they made him wait here, and he knew exactly what they were doing. He was too risky to let roam freely, and his death would¡¯ve made a martyr of him, so they made him wait here. Left to stare at blankness, to listen to silence, to stay completely still. No food, no drink, no air, no contact besides the silent jailor who popped in from time to time to feed him little drops of blood. They wanted to break him, and it was working. Ethereal streams of energy seemed to leak out from the space before him, swirling and gathering into a vaguely humanoid figure. He thought it was his jailor, but it was joined by another, and when they truly manifested in the physical world they wore a uniform unfamiliar to him. The usual sleek black armor was white with orange outlines, and the helmets were more like masks, though they lacked any kind of visor or openings to see through. In their place were symbols: one agent had an arrow pointing upward, and the other bore the symbol of the sun, they were male and female respectively. The Sun approached him first. It was unusual, her voice-unlike the other agents- was undistorted, even through the mask. ¡±Hey there, Frederick!¡± She put her hand on her hips. I grimaced. ¡°Do I know you?¡± ¡±Nope, but we sure know you-¡± ¡±Then you should know that I¡¯m never going to help you people.¡± ¡±You see, that¡¯s the thing-¡± ¡±What is this, blackmail? I thought you Organization people knew everything.¡± She held her hands out beside her.¡±We¡¯re not blackmailing you Frederick,¡± She spoke softly, ¡°you and I, we both want the same thing. Maybe we don''t have the same reasons but-¡± ¡±-and how am I supposed to trust you?¡± She was silent for a bit. "Come with us, you¡¯ll see." She snapped her hand. The chains binding his wrists snapped and the lights in the cell went out. He fell to the ground, barely landing on his feet. Facing them, he brushed the chains off his wrists and did his best not to smile or stretch. The Arrow turned around, a rift opening before them and casting the room in a dim violet light. He walked through it, vanishing from sight. ¡±Go on.¡± Frederick didn''t follow. The Sun walked to the edge of the rift before looking back. ¡±You know, if he wanted to kill you he could¡¯ve done it a while ago.¡± ¡±That¡¯s not what I¡¯m afraid of.¡± ¡±Suit yourself, but we aren''t keeping that rift open forever, and there¡¯s nothing beyond these walls.¡± She stepped into the rift. He sighed, following them through the rift. There Frederick found himself in a place he could scarcely comprehend; like all the world¡¯s thoughts and ideas were floating by and drifting through in an endless sea. He lost the feeling in his body, and only the mind was present for this journey. He never did like these little journeys the Psychics took, there was nothing he could do in that place, he could barely even think straight. He found himself standing next to the others in front of a large metal door. Alarms were blaring in the background. The two nodded at each other. They did Frederick a favor by destroying the lights in the corridor before destroying the door. The Sun raised her hand. The door glowed softly before being violently catapulted forward. It flew outward slamming Agents and shattering the glass. The Arrow vanished while the Sun walked forward into what looked like a control room. She gestured casually with her hand. Violet flashes streaked across the room, followed by a terrible screeching noise. Most of the Agents in the room seemed to just drop dead. Blood poured freely from their necks and heads. The few that moved in time fell over with massive tears in their backs and calves. Frederick chanced a step out of the shadows to get a better look, ignoring the smell of the blood that called to him. He looked beyond the shattered glass, at the chaos down below. He realized what this was, a prison break, on a major Organization facility no less. Two sets of stairs led downward to the lower platform where all the consoles and seats were located. Many of the Agents had died in their seats. The Sun moved them aside to fiddle with a console before making her way to the next one.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "What are you doing?" "Isn''t it obvious Fred?" "I meant why." "I told you. We want the same thing, sort''ve. It''s a long story, but if you come with us-" "Wait." "You have an awfully bad habit of interrupting people when they speak you know that?" "No, there''s someone on their way up. I can hear it." She sighed. "Yeah, I know you can. I was just hoping they''d try and run while they could. You don''t think they''re going to do that, do you?" "You wanted them to escape?" "Yes, and no. It''s-" "He''s almost here." She sighed again. "I appreciate the heads up." The grinding of metal began faintly and grew increasingly louder within seconds. An arm reached out over the ledge and gripped it with enough strength to warp the metal it held. The Warden threw himself high into the air with the one arm. "I won''t let you!" At this rate he was going to impact the ceiling, but rather than let that stop him he rotated in the air. He landed on the ceiling with a heavy thud and pushed off with his feet. As he rocketed toward the platform he was surrounded by energy that trailed behind him like a comet. The Sun jumped to the higher platform in a single bound. She spun and raised an ephemeral shield. Frederick stepped into the shadows. The Warden''s impact left a warped crater on the floor. Debris assaulted her shield, shards of metal left hairline fractures and thick cables slammed against it. Frederick couldn''t do anything but cover his eyes and pick out the shrapnel later. The bodies were sent flying too, and they littered the floor. He fixed the Sun with a glare. "You! Do you have any idea what you''re doing?!" She was silent. "Answer me damn it!" He leaped at the Sun, again surrounded with energy, and his right arm wrapped in spectral chains. The Sun leaned in, dodging the open hand by a hair''s breadth. From her palm came a shimmering orb the size of a basket ball. It flew into his torso, driving him back several feet. It hardly even scratched the aura around him before disappearing. As the Warden was driven back he swung his arm. The chains extended from his arm. The Sun ducked down, pushing it aside slightly with her shield. She let loose another, larger orb. "You can''t run!" He drew back his arm and moved forward. The chain drew back and she had to dodge it again. The chain nearly struck the orb and destroyed it, but it split. Before impact one became four and they moved out of the way. They surrounded him as they flew. The Warden thrust his left hand forward as he stepped. At that moment an orb struck his leg, and another struck his arm. They were both harmless, but they threw his aim off. The lance of energy that followed cut through the walls and roof, missing her head by inches. She fired more volleys that surrounded the Warden. He dashed into close range, ignoring the harmless orbs. His every strike was fast and brutal. The surrounding orbs interfered in the nick of time. She circled him, always throwing out new orbs, careful to never be cornered. He approached methodically, always trying to trick her up, never letting her get too far. He swept the ground with his feet and swung the chain behind his back. She rolled over the sweep and backed up, finally escaping from close quarters. He spun, brining the chain in from an unexpected direction. She blocked it with her shield. The chain wrapped around her shield and he pulled on it. She stumbled forward. Before he could do anything his leg was sliced by a mass of orbs that merged to form a cutting edge. The Warden fell to one knee and the Sun rolled aside. He grabbed the floor and threw himself forward, turning in time to see the masses of orbs turn into cutting blades. He held his wound closed telekinetically and pressed onward. The blades approached and surrounded him, each time he''d try and deflect they''d split into their orbs and reform somewhere else. He wasn''t nearly as agile she was, scratches turned into cuts, cuts turned into slashes, slashes became lacerations. The Warden screamed, lashing out with the chain. Several blades split into orbs. The Warden''s aura disappeared. And he threw himself at the Sun. He grabbed onto the floor and threw himself forward. Where the orbs might''ve stopped him before they simply tore through his body. He held his wounds closed as he rocketed forward and drew his arm back to throw a final punch. The orbs couldn''t catch up. She dropped the offense, the orbs disappeared in exchange for a stronger shield. The Warden struck the shield at full force. There was moment where Frederick thought the shield might''ve held, but it was torn asunder. The Sun was open to attack, and the Warden''s aura flared for just a moment. Before he collapsed on the floor. A rift opened beside them. The Arrow stepped out ready for a fight. Then he observed the Warden, then the control room. "You''re late." The Arrow shrugged. Then the Warden stirred. He dragged himself forward, then he stood up. He fell to his knees again. The Arrow raised a hand to finish the Warden. "Nah, I''ll do it." The Warden turned his head to look her in the eye. "They''ll get you in the end." "I know they do." She blasted a hole in chest. Frederick stepped out from the shadows. "Sorry I couldn''t help you there. I''m not exactly at my peak." "No, it''s fine I-" "You can however, count on my help in the future." She chuckled a little. It was a bit empty. "Fine, fine, just keep interrupting me, who cares what I think anyways." "What is it you need me to do?" The Arrow spoke this time. "The Fates will select a Chosen One soon." "So... what, you want me to kill her?" "No. The Chosen One won''t die until the Prophecy is fulfilled." "Okay, then what''re we supposed to do? It''s fate." "There are many ways to fulfill a prophecy, Mr. Lionel." Chapter 1 Fate ¡°I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s nothing to be done about it, Nick. I¡¯m sorry.¡± For once, instead of staring longingly at the starry void beyond his office window, Mr. Johnson chose to address me directly. ¡±Oh come on, destiny? That¡¯s bullshit!¡± He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Really? After everything you¡¯ve seen out there? Is the concept of destiny really so implausible?¡± ¡±Look, I can deal with the vampires, I can deal with the werewolves and spirits and demons and everything else-¡° I started to pace back and forth. The words came unbidden from my mouth. ¡°-but you mean to tell me that everything I did, all of it, that none of it mattered in the end! Everything, decided for me? You want me to die for some random stranger?¡± ¡°Calm down, Nick. Have a look through our Archives, listen to the stories we tell our children. The records are clear; the existence of Chosen Ones aren¡¯t exactly a secret, and neither is the fate that awaits you. ¡±Really, and what if...¡± I paused. ¡°What if I just refused to teach her outright. What then? What would anyone do about it?¡± ¡±Nick, you can¡¯t possibly be suggesting-¡° I stopped and raised my hands. ¡°-I¡¯m just saying. I mean, if I never even teach her how could you call me her Mentor?¡± ¡±Nick, do you even understand the weight of the responsibility resting on your shoulders?¡± ¡±I don¡¯t, actually!¡± I threw my hands in the air. ¡°She¡¯s going to fulfill the prophecy no matter what right? Then I don¡¯t really see how anything I do matters in the end. She¡¯ll learn, and she¡¯ll fulfill the prophecy. So what is the point of me? Why even bother?¡± ¡±Because we don¡¯t know what happens until that point. We know that she¡¯ll change the Organization in some great way, we know that people like you never live to see that day she fulfills her prophecy. Everything else is up in the air.¡± ¡±But what does it matter-¡° ¡±Who cares! Whether it does or doesn¡¯t matter isn¡¯t important because we don¡¯t know anything else for absolute certain. The things you teach her could be the difference between global peacekeepers and... I don¡¯t know, Psychic Nazis!¡± ¡±Psychic Nazis? Really?¡± ¡°I assure you they were quite real, and you of all people should be more familiar with the darker side of our Organization. I know you¡¯re still a relatively new Agent,and you¡¯ve already come so far, but in times like these the weight of the world quite possibly rests on our shoulders. Maybe nothing really matters in the grand scheme of things, but what I do know, is that in the worst cases, generations of good people down the line will feel the consequences of your negligence. Is that what you want?¡± I opened my mouth, and closed it. I wasn¡¯t quite sure what to say. I wasn¡¯t dead yet, and I didn¡¯t plan on it anytime soon. Even so, the words exchanged between Mr. Johnson and I bounced around in my head as I tried to sleep. I¡¯d been trying to fall asleep for the last hour or so with no success, and I¡¯ve been struggling to do so for the past week. I¡¯ve been so exhausted recently, but I¡¯ve still been struggling to get any decent sleep. Why worry, Nick? You have no intention of dying yes? A voice from within rung out. Trust me, I don¡¯t. It just... sucks. That¡¯s all. Is that so? Then why aren¡¯t you doing something about it? Go through the archives, consult a higher ranking Agent. Perhaps find out who she is... Glory, I¡¯m not going to kill her. I didn¡¯t say anything. You were going to. Fine, but you need to do something. The Nick I knew wasn¡¯t one to give up. Are you that same Nick? I am. I¡¯m just tired, and I need to take my mind off things. I felt a small vibration on my bedside table. Reluctantly, I picked my phone up. Avery: Dude where the hell are you! I decided to text back.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Nick: At home. Avery: Well, are you your way? You¡¯re like thirty minutes late Nick: For what? Avery: Homecoming dumbass Nick: I¡¯m good. I¡¯ll just sleep. Avery: OH HELL NO Avery: I¡¯m not letting you miss out on homecoming every single year of high school Nick: I¡¯ll Pass. Avery: If you don¡¯t show up soon Avery: your dead to me Nick: *you¡¯re* Avery: I am actually this close to dragging your ass over here I set the phone down. Knowing Avery, she probably wasn¡¯t joking about driving over and forcing me to go this time. Usually she lets it go, but she¡¯s been weirdly insistent on dragging me along to homecoming recently. I got up and walked over to my closet. I threw on the first pair of clothes I could get my hands on. A simple red shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and some slippers that were nearby. I closed my eyes and gazed into a realm somewhere between what was real and what was figurative. I pictured a small well of violet water forming beneath my feet. Then, if one were to peer below its surface, they¡¯d find sparks of light glittering beneath the surface and sending ripples out into the water. Mine was placed firmly in the center, and Avery¡¯s was close. Here, distance wasn¡¯t a concern, only perceptions. If I looked into the disturbance created by her spark, and watched closely, I could feel things. I briefly wondered what the world around her was like. Her ripple expanded outward. That well became a vast lake. There were other sparks surrounding her, some moving quickly about in circular patterns, others stayed on the sidelines A few moved through and across that lake of thoughts and ideas. Chaotic waves of emotions permeated the area, echoes of sadness, anger, joy, among other things, but I didn¡¯t have the skills required to see the world around her in detail. Hey, could you do me a favor and display the area for me Avery? Fine, but you really need to figure out how to do that for yourself if you want to do this regularly. I know, I know. I¡¯ve been meaning to for a while now, just never found the time. Fair enough, I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re not putting up much of a fight this time. I felt a slight pressure in the back of my head. I accepted, and the pressure faded. Beneath the surface of the lake were images. People dancing, a few people off skulking by themselves, and others making their way to and from the dance floor. At the end of the room was a set of double doors. From there, down the hall, was an empty corner that no was looking at. The waters of the lake arose and took the form of Glory; half-demonic, armored, and burning. It pulled me down into the lake, and the feeling was one similar to suffocation and burning. Then I was dragged up slowly, and emerged from the water. I opened my eyes in that empty corner. I stepped into the gymnasium where the dance was held and made my way to the table where the drinks were. There were more than a few people who glanced in my direction, and admittedly I was a bit uncomfortable. It was hard to discern what they were thinking when there were so many bodies crowding the gymnasium and so many powerful emotions in the air, but it was probably the clothes I wore to homecoming. I took comfort in knowing their attention wouldn¡¯t linger for very long. At least, not on me. I leaned against the table with a cup full of punch. I tried to pick out Avery from within the crowd, but there were just way too many people. I felt another small pressure in the back of my head. When I accepted it a small violet outline appeared around Avery. At the moment she was dancing with one of the more prominent members of the basketball team. Avery parted ways with him while he continued to dance with what appeared to be thin air. Of course, nobody noticed, and she made her way toward the table where I was. ¡°The one year you come to homecoming and you show up dressed like that?¡± Her face scrunched up in disapproval. ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t really plan on going so I didn¡¯t have anything ready to wear.¡± She sighed and crossed her arms. ¡°I¡¯m glad you showed up at least.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± We stood in silence for a bit before I decided to break the silence. ¡°So, are you going to release him from that trance?¡± ¡°In a few moments he¡¯ll think I needed to go to the bathroom and he¡¯ll go off to talk with his friends.¡± ¡°Is that really a good way to use your abilities?¡± She raised an eyebrow. ¡°Since when did you care? Not like it¡¯s a big deal.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, fair enough I guess. So, awkward dance, huh? Wouldn¡¯t have expected that from either of you.¡± I took a sip. ¡°It¡¯s always hard when you can tell exactly what they¡¯re thinking.¡± Her lips pressed into a thin line. ¡°Yikes, that bad?¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°What? No, actually he¡¯s a really cool guy. All around good person, smart too. The looks don¡¯t hurt either. He¡¯s just a little too predictable you know? ¡°I mean, in all fairness, you can read his thoughts like an open book.¡± ¡°I know. I know, but sometimes it gets to the point where I feel like I¡¯m just using him.¡± I looked over. He was waving at the door now, before turning to go talk with his friends. ¡°Well, I mean right now-.¡± ¡°Look, it¡¯s different this time okay?¡± She said exasperatedly. I wasn¡¯t so sure about that. ¡°Maybe just don¡¯t read his mind then?¡± ¡±Really? Hadn¡¯t thought of it before. What a great idea, Nick.¡± She leaned on the table beside me. ¡°It¡¯s just... really hard not knowing. When I¡¯m not reading his mind I just feel so¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an invasion of his privacy, Avery.¡± ¡°I know, I know. It¡¯s just hard... I gotta ask though, are you okay? No offense, but I didn¡¯t think you really gave a shit about this kind of stuff.¡± I winced. ¡°I¡¯ve sort¡¯ve had a lot on my mind recently.¡± ¡°You too? Well, since we¡¯re both struggling, and it¡¯s your first homecoming, why don¡¯t we dance? It¡¯ll be nice to have someone I can¡¯t read as easily.¡± ¡°What about him?¡± I nodded toward the basketball player. ¡°Oh he won¡¯t notice. I don¡¯t think anyone will.¡± ¡°That¡¯s kind¡¯ve cruel, you know that?.¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to spare his feelings.¡± ¡°...Alright. I guess.¡± The deluge of conflicting emotions running through my mind were halted by alarm. A sudden warp of emotions. There were things emerging from the shroud. A great Envy that yearned for something more to fill the endless void at its core. Spirits of spite, sorrow, and pride followed in its wake. The spirits were then lost to me in the flood of emotions surrounding. ¡°Uh, Avery?¡± I looked over. ¡° You felt that right?¡± ¡°Yeah, and more clearly than you did. One of those was a great spirit, I can tell. What should we do? It¡¯s right here at the school!¡± ¡°We minimize collateral damage. Stay here and manage the emotions of the students. Keep them calm, and try to contain them within in the gym. She closed her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°Alright, I think the spirit of Envy is pursuing one person in particular. If that¡¯s the case then maybe it has a source. I look for them in here.¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯ll go fight off the physical manifestations of those spirits.¡± ¡°Think you can manage?¡± ¡°I think I can hold them off with Glory¡¯s help. Will you be fine right here?¡± ¡°Yeah, definitely. I¡¯ll send for backup as soon as possible and direct you to the targets.¡± ¡°Right. Good luck then.¡± I closed my eyes and vanished into ashes on the wind as Glory took me away. I would have liked to take solace in the certainty that it wasn¡¯t yet my time to die, but I knew that didn¡¯t guarantee success. We were stretched thin, and I was more than pushing our limits. I had no idea if and when backup would arrive. All I could do, all I could ever do, was my best.